Use words that people can relate to.

In his book "Why Presidents Succeed," University of California at Davis psychologist Dean Keith Simonton argues that the most effective communicators use concrete — rather than abstract — language.

"'I feel your pain' has association," he tells the APA Monitor, "but 'I can relate to your viewpoint' doesn't. The most charismatic presidents reached an emotional connection with people talking not to their brains but to their gut."

Mirror the person you're speaking to.

Psychologists have found that when two people are getting along, they start to mirror each other's bodies as a sign of trust and safety. Your date crosses their legs, so do you; you take a sip of water, so does your date.

Keep your hands and torso open to signal that you're welcoming.

Keeping your hands stuffed in your pockets and your shoulders turned inward sends the signal that you're not interested. But talking with your hands and standing in an open stance shows that you're available.

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Bring a dog with you, since it makes you look nurturing.

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In a University of Michigan experiment, women read vignettes about men. Whenever the story featured a person who owned a dog, women rated them with higher long-term attractiveness.

The researchers concluded that owning a pet signaled that you're nurturing and capable of making long-term commitments. It also makes you appear more relaxed, approachable, and happy.

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Smile more.

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In two experiments, researchers in Switzerland examined the relationship between attractiveness and smiling.

They found that the stronger the smile, the more attractive a face looked.

In fact, a happy facial expression compensated for relative unattractiveness.

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Get people to talk about themselves.

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According to Harvard research, talking about yourself stimulates the same brain regions as sex or a good meal.

"Activation of this system when discussing the self suggests that self-disclosure ... may be inherently pleasurable," Scientific American reports.